Apparatus for advancing articles through a furnace



July 26 1932 J. E. BATIE 1,8685790 APPARATUS FOR ADVANCING ARTICLES THROUGH A FURNACE Filed Aug. 19. 1929 2 Sheets-:Sheet l ATTORNEYS Julyz, 193.2- J. E. vlawn-1T: 1,868,790

` yAPPARATUS For; ADVANCING ARTICLES THROUGH A FURNAGT:l

'Filed Aug. 19. 1929 esmas-sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES JOSEPH E. BATIE,

IORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOR TO KELSEY-HAYES WHEEL GOR- APPARATUS ron ADVANCING Anmzorns THROUGH A FURNACE y i Application filed August 19, 1929. Serial'No. 386,929.

The invention relates to apparatusforadvancing articles and refers more particularly to apparatus for advancing articles with rounded surfaces, such as drawn wheel hub blanks, through a furnace.k The invention has for its main obj ect the construction of an apparatus for advancing the articles with astep by step movement without disarranging or piling up the articles during their advancement. Another object is to so construct the apparatus that the articles may be advanced along guideways in the furnace. With these as well as other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure lis a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention; f. f

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line ofFigure 1. f

The furnace 1 is provided with the hearth 2 which is formed with the parallellongitudinally extending grooves 3 for guiding-the articles l which, in the present instance, are drawn wheel hub Vblanks and areof such shape that they cannot bel telescopically ken-V gaged sufficiently to maintain their proper positions if relieved from end pressure during theiry advancement through the furnace. The hearth 2 has a loading extension forwardly of the furnace whereby workmen may place the articles to be heated in the grooves.

For advancing the articles along the grooves without disarranging or piling up these articles during their advancement, I have provided an apparatus which carries the articles forwardly by a step by step movement and which maintains the endwise pressure upon the articles while the carrying members are being moved rearwardly. In detail, 5 are bars extending longitudinally within the grooves 3 and near the bottoms thereof and arranged to support the articles sufficiently to carry the same. 6`is a cross head slidable upon the loading extension of the hearth 2 and fiXedly secured to the front ends of these bars. This cross head is advanced or moved forwardly and retracted or moved rearwardly by suitablemeans, preferably located below the loadingy extension, which comprises in the present .instance the electric motor 7 connected by suitable speed reducing mechanism 8 and 8 to the cranks 9l which` in turn are connected by the links 10 `to the pivotal levers 11. The upper ends of these levers have journaled thereon the anti-friction means 12, such as rolls,`which are engageable with the front face of the cross head'to advance this cross head toward the furnace, the rolls being movable transversely of the cross head upon the swingingofthe levers. For retracting the cross head away fromthe furnace, there are the straps 13' which are secured to the cross head andare arranged to engage the opposite sidesv ofthe rolls. f Y f For the purpose of maintaining the articles in proper relation'to eachother and consequentlytoy the hearth, I have provided the abutment'li engageablewith the rear articles upon retractionk ofthe cross head 6 and the bars 5. This abutment` is located in advance.`

ofthe cross `head 6 and is arranged to be advanced thereby. 'This abutment Yhas at its ends the pins 14 which engage the longitudinal slots 15 at the upper ends of the arms 15', n

These arms are fixed to the ends of the cross shaft 16, there being another arm 16 fixed to the cross shaft intermediate its ends. This latter larm has at its free end a transverse projection 17 which is arranged to engage the cam cranks 9 are secured, the cam being arranged to control the movement of the projection in ageneral radial direction relative to the-cam. thereby controlling the swinging of the arm 17 driven with the shaft to which the 16 and rocking of the cross shaft 16. The i general arrangement is such that the cam permits the rocking of the larm 16 and cross shaft 16 during the advancing of the cross head 6 and abutment 14 and then holds the arm 16 and cross shaft 16 from rocking during the retracting of the cross head 6 until the final portion of this retracting movement`r during which time the arm 16 and cross shaft 16 are suddenly rocked to 'suddenly retract the abutment. For assisting in holding the abutment 14 in its advanced position during the retracting of the cross head 6, the

the rear article movable toggle links 18 and 1S are provided, the former being journaled on a pin 1li and the latter being pi voted to the 'frame of the apparatus. rlhese links are pivoted to each other and so arranged that when the abutment is in its advanced position the linls are straightened out. For breaking these toggle linls there is the arm 19 secured to the cross head 6 and having the transverse pin 19 engageable with the link 1S during the linal portion of the retracting movementof the cross head.

The construction is such that with the parts in position, as shown in Figure 1, at which time the cross head 6 is retracted and the abutment 14 is immediately7 in advance thereof and preferably in engagement therewith, upon movementof the levers 11 in a counterclockwise direction the cross head is advanced by means of the rolls 12, thereby advancing the bars 5, the abutment 14 and the arms 15" and their associated parts. During' this advancement the articles are advanced along the furnace hearth. When the parts have reached their advanced limits the abutment 14 is held while the cross head is being retracted until near the end of this movement, when the abutment is suddenly retracted. This abutment engaging the rear articles exerts endwise pressure thereon during the retraction of the cross head to maintain the articles in their proper relations. After the retraction of the abutment the workmen may then insert other articles, after which the same cycle of operations is continued. lilith this construction the electric motor preferably rotates continuously so that the operation of the apparatus is continuous.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 1. An apparatus for advancing articles through a furnace having a hearth, which comprises au article supporting bar movable over the furnace hearth, a reciprocable cross head connected to said bar for moving the same forward and rearward, an abutment for in a forward direction upon forward movement of said cross head, means for positively holding said abutment at its limit of forward movement during the rearward .movement of said cross head and bar and means operable in timed relation to the rearward movement of the crosshead and bar for rendering said holding means inoperative and for subsequently moving said abutment in a rearward direction relative to the crosshead and starting position.

2. An apparatus for advancing` articles through a furnace having a hearth, which comprises an article supporting bar movable over the furnace hearth, a reciin'ocable cross head connected to said bar for moving the same forward and rearward, an abutment for the rear article movable, in a forward direction upon forward movement of said cross head, and means operated in timed relation bar to its initial to said cross head for holding said abutment at its limit of forward movement during the rearward movement of said cross head and bar and for subsequently moving said abutment in a rearward direction.

3. An apparatus for advancing articles through a furnace having a hearth, which comprises an article supporting bar movable over the furnace hearth, a reciprocablecross head connected to said bar for movine' the same forward and rearward, an abutment for the rear article movable in a forward direction upon forward movement of said cross head, and cam means for holding said abutment stationary during the rearward movement of said cross head and for subsequently moving said abutment in a rearward direction.

Ll. An apparatus for advancing articles through a furnace having a. hearth provided with a longitudinally extending groove for guiding the articles, which comprises an ai'- ticle supporting bar movable longitudinally within the groove near its bottom, a reciprocable cross head connected to said bar for moving the same forward and rearward, an abutment for the rear article movable in a forward direction upon forward movement of said cross head and cain, means engageable with said abutment for limiting its forward movement, and for holding said abutment stationary during` the rearward movement of said cross head and for subsequently moving said abutment in a rearward direction.

5. An apparatus for advancing articles through a furnace having a guideway for the articles, which comprises a member movable in forward and rearward directions and arranged to carry the articles forward along the guideway upon forward movement of said member, an abutment for the rear article engageable therewith during rearward movement of said member, a cross head connected to said member, and mea-ns for moving said cross head in forward and rearward directions comprising a pivotal member, an antifriction member between said pivotal member and cross head for moving said cross head in one direction upon movement of said pivotal member in one direction, and a strap upon said cross head for engaging said antifriction member to move said cross head in the other direction upon movement of said pivotal member in the other direction.

G. An apparatus for advancing articles from one point to another comprising, a bar movable in forward and rearward directions and arranged to carry the articles to be transported, a reciprocable crosshead connected to the bar for moving the same in the aforesaid directions, an abutment positioned in advance of the crosshead and normally en- ;ageable with the latter for movement therewith in a forward direction and adapted to engage the rear article, means operable in timed relation toy the crosshead for holding the abutment at its limit of forward movement during the rearward movement of said crosshead and bar, and means for subsequently returning said abutment to its normal position aforesaid.

7. An apparatus for advancing articles from one point to another comprising, a bar movable in forward and rearward directions and arranged to carry the articles forward upon a corresponding movement thereof, an abutment for the rear article movable in a forward direction upon forward movement of the bar, means including toggle linkage for holding the abutment at its limit of forward movement during the rearward movement of the bar, and means for subsequently actuating the toggle linkage to permit moving said abutment in a rearward direction.

8. An apparatus for transferring articles from one point to another which comprises, an article supporting bar mounted for sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly, a reciprocable crosshead connected tothe bar for moving the same inthe aforesaid directio-ns, an abutment for the rear article positioned in advance of the crosshead and normally engageable with `the latter-for movement therewith in a forward direction, means movement of the abutment to its forwardincluding toggle linkage .for holding said abutment at its limit of forward movement Vduring the rearward movement of the crosshead and bar, and means automatically operable during the final portion of theretract-ing movementof the crosshead to actuate said toggle linkage to permit said abut- Y ment to be returned to its normal position in engagement with the crosshead.

9. In apparatus for advancing articles from one point to another, a membery mov'- able in forward and rearward directions and arranged to carry the articles to be transported, a reciprocable crosshead connected to the member for moving the same in the aforesaid directions, an abutment normally positioned adjacent the crosshead and movable forwardly upon initial forward movement of the crosshead, means for holding the abutment against movement during rearward movement of the crossheadV and member, and mechanism operable in timed relation to the rearward movement of the crosshead and member for moving said abutment rearwardly relative to the crosshead and member to its normal position aforesaid.

10. In apparatus for advancing articles from one point to another, a member movable in forward and rearward directions and arranged to carry articles forwardfupon a corresponding movement thereof, an abutment movable forwardly upon initial for- Vward movement of the member and engageable with the rear article on the member, and mechanism automatically operable upon 

